Total Eclipse of the Heart
by justxsway
Summary: She never fit in. Not as a member of society, not as a GungHo Gun. Where sympathy is found in only small abundunces, an open heart is closer than you might expect, behind a white coat and golden eyes. [LxOCxD]
1. Flower

Oh em eff gee, this is my first Trigun fanfic. Actually, this is my first anime fanfic _ever_. . ; Please excuse my uncreative writing, sometimes I have moments where bursts of creativity come, and I guess you can tell when those occur. The title of the story is from Bonnie Tyler's song "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and no, I don't own her or the song.

Anywho, I DON'T OWN TRIGUN OR ANY OF THE BANDS LISTED. Now read the damn thing! xx

_Total Eclipse of the Heart_

**Chapter 1**

"Flower"

Delilah yawned as she scratched her neck, waiting for the bus to arrive at the dusty stop where she was waiting with nothing but her purse in her hand and the blue skies above her. The time was exactly two o'clock in the afternoon... and the bus was almost a full fifteen minutes late. It was nothing out of the ordinary considering it was Little Jersey, and buses had been known to be hijacked/bombed every day. She'd just have to wait it out.

She rummaged through her purse until she pulled out a music playing device, along with a set of small earbuds. Ancient artifacts is what they would be most formally known as on Gunsmoke, even though hundreds of them had been found on the Project Seeds ships. Delilah, whose parents owned an antique shop, was one of the fortunate ones to get her hands on something as priceless as Earth technology.

"Let's see here," she mused to herself after she placed both earbuds in her ears. Quickly she selected Duran Duran's _Rio _and began to nod her head to the beat. This lost genre of music... _New Wave_... was something she was quite fond of. It had originated in the twentieth century, nearly five hundred years ago. She had picked up this certain music device when she was nineteen years old and fell in love with its contents of music from time so long ago. She recognized a few songs from the radio, but that was nothing compared to the thousands of songs she had in her possession in a single electronic gadget. Duran Duran, The Police, White Rose Movement, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and also music of other genres such as Lostprophets, Underoath, Pink, Blue Oyster Cult... she was obsessed.

In the distance she could see a huge dust cloud forming in the sky, appearing to be coming closer as a gleaming dot flashed in the distance – metal. Delilah only could hope that it was the bus and not someone trying to kidnap her. Nonetheless, she quickly tried to tidy up her appearance. Her short black hair was messily thrown in two pigtails, a pink bandanna wrapped around her head and tied at the top to keep stray hair off her neck. She pulled the knot tighter in the bandanna just as the bus pulled up.

The fumes were choking her and she could only imagine what it would smell like actually inside the behemoth of a vehicle. Dust clouded her vision and her white pumps were now a dirty yellow and caked with dirt. _So much for expensive,_ she thought to herself as the doors opened and she loaded into the bus. The doors closed behind her and the bus began rolling before she could even find a spot to sit down.

Her green eyes scanned any vacant spots, and to her luck there were quite a few. Trying to make as little noise as she could, she walked down the isle past a sleeping old man and a woman with two giggling children. The back of the bus was empty and she almost sat down until she saw what looked like vomit caked on the back of the seat and on the floor. She nearly gagged.

She thought it would be safer to sit closer to the front so that is what she did. The bus was going to Demitirhi so it wouldn't be that long of a ride, to her luck. There were two reasons why she had boarded the bus instead of taking her black '68 Shelby remake: One, it was in the shop and she was just going to pick it up and two, she was to meet some sort of representative from a company that could supposedly give her a job that would "last for the rest of her life". It sounded like a bunch of bullshit at first but Delilah seriously needed a job she could depend on.

Thirty minutes of stifling heat contained inside the air conditioner-less bus, it finally reached its destination at the Demitirhi bus stop. Delilah had only been to this town a couple times and she had no idea where she was going, but she was young and perky and could ask for directions from just about anyone. The man told her to meet him at the New Oasis Cafe... wherever the Hell that was. She chortled in laughter which caused the lady and her two children to give her strange looks, but she was used to that sort of thing.

After hopping out of the bus, she made sure her appearance was tidy once again. Ah, how vain she was. She wasn't beautiful, or even considered pretty, but she obsessed over her appearance and clothes. She was chubby, not fat, and had a rack that could make heads turn (to put it bluntly). She indeed looked very out of place with her unusually colourful and fashionable get-up consisting of skinny jeans, heels, neon tops and chunky jewelry. To top it off, she also loved piercings. She had eight piercings all together- one in her lip, one laberet, one nose, two in her left ear, one in her right, one in her bellybutton and the other... well, that's one of her dirty secrets. Delilah was the type of girl parents told their children to stay away from.

As she made her way into the heart of the town, more and more people passed her by and she began to feel nervous. It wasn't like she wasn't used to being around people, but how would she find this place she was looking for when every building and person looked the same? Her purse began to slip off her shoulder and she readjusted it, her eyes catching those of a lady who was staring at her. Delilah cleared her throat. Did she really look that lost, or was it her clothes?

"Excuse me," the young girl said to the lady, "but can you tell me where the _New Oasis Cafe_ is?"

The lady blinked her eyes, and then her gaze turned downwards in embarrassment. "Oh... um... down two blocks, make a right and you'll see it.." Her words were quiet yet rushed, and it was obvious this lady did not like talking to strangers.

Delilah put on the warmest smile she could and curtsied slightly to show her gratitude. "Thanks ma'am." She then turned away from the lady and continued her journey, this time at a slightly brisker pace.

However, it was only one block down the street when she realized how truly sore her feet were from her shoes. _I can't wear heels everyday... I'm gonna' end up crippled before I even reach thirty, _she thought to herself and winced in pain. Yup, she could expect some blisters tomorrow morning.

As she hobbled her way down the dirt road, she caught a glimpse of something red in the corner of her right eye. Turning her head fully, she was met head-on with a bright red sign that read _New Oasis Cafe_ in bold, black print.

_Wow, _she thought and scratched her head, _I think I found it._

When she stepped foot through the swinging doors and into the small cafe, her senses felt like they were automatically rejuvenated as the fresh smell of coffee filled her nostrils and sent waves of calmness through her body. A soft jazz floated through the air and into her ears as soon as she removed her ear buds and placed them gingerly into her purse along with her mp3 player. Now the big issue was finding the actual person she was supposed to meet. They gave her no description of what the person looked like, and nor did she give them any description of what she looked like. She breathed in the aroma of paradise and exhaled deeply. "Guess I'm cold turkey again."

_"Miss Bonnouvrier."_

Just as her mind was beginning to wander over the various assortment of danishes and pastries, someone said her name... or at least she thought they did.

_"Miss Bonnouvrier?"_

There was that god damn voice again! She turned around and looked in all directions, scanning the cafe with weary eyes until a rather creepy looking man in a strange white coat caught her attention. Her green eyes met with his gold ones and she felt like she was hooked. Slowly her feet began to carry her over to him as his lips curved into a teasing smile. She didn't understand why she had the impulse to approach this fiendish looking character, but who cared. He was cute.

"Waa... ah, I... erm.." At the moment, Delilah could not form a word even if her life depended on it, so nothing but nonsensical babble came from her mouth instead. What was wrong with her? And who the Hell was this creepy looking guy?

"Miss Bonnouvrier, I'm glad we've managed to find each other," he spoke to her out loud in a smooth, almost mesmerizing voice that sent chills down her spine. What a creep.

Suddenly Delilah felt fully coherent again as she sat down in a chair across from him. "H-hi..." That was all she could really say at the moment.

"My name is Legato Bluesummers. As you already know, I was sent by my master to make sure you get to the..._base_... safely," he told her calmly.

His demeanor was that of a hawk, watching her every move and taking in everything about her, yet he had the gracefulness of a feline. He seemed like a very professional kind of guy yet there was something unnerving about the spikes protruding from his jacket, along with the skull on the left sleeve. Oh yeah, not to mention his strange golden eyes, deep indigo hair, and the way he seemed like he could read minds. Can't forget about that.

Delilah was silent and nodded feebly, noticing how he referred to someone as 'master'. What sort of job was she in for, anyways?

The blue-haired man tilted his head to the side and inquisitively rubbed his chin. "Shall I order a drink for the lady?"

Delilah stared at him. "You are one creepy motherfucker."

Legato laughed sinisterly and clasped his hands together on his lap. "I'm taking that as a no. Well then, shall we head back to the base?"

Even Delilah was shocked at her rude outburst. "Oh! Erm... yeah, I guess so," she said shyly as an uneasy laugh escaped from her throat. "But first I need to get my car at the shop, if that's no trouble."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. We have all the time in the world... although I hate to keep master waiting," Legato replied as he stood from his seat.

Delilah stood up and was careful not to get too close to this guy because he looked dangerous, believe it or not. "Don't worry, it will only take a second."

With Delilah in the lead, they exited the dim cafe and into the bright sun and dry environment. She stopped briefly to let Legato in front and it was then she noticed how tall he really was. Delilah was a short girl to begin with, but Legato made her feel like a midget. She also noticed something else about this strange Legato person. He wasn't just cute, he was absolutely gorgeous. She had to avert her eyes to the ground to keep herself from staring for too long.

"You're blushing," came Legato's voice from in front of her. He was still walking and he didn't even turn to look at her... but it was true. She was blushing like mad.

"I..." she began, but then quickly shut her mouth. There was no point in denying what she thought about him.

Legato coolly turned his head slightly to look at her, a smug grin on his handsome face. He could easily search her mind and get the directions to their next destination, without her even knowing. He turned his head forward again and stared straight ahead. Narrowing his eyes, he began to try and gain access to her mind, into her thoughts. Something struck him as odd, however, since he could only get as much as her name. This girl's mind was too cluttered for him to find any relevant information.

_Well, she is strange for a typical female spider, _Legato contemplated, _but is she really that typical? _She certainly stuck out like a sore thumb, even amongst other fashionable women. But that was what Legato detested about female spiders like her. All that they cared about was their appearance and trying to be the best at everything, even though at the end of the day they were all the same- nothing but garbage. This was true for all humans, even Legato himself.

It was only a matter of minutes until Delilah decided to speak up. "Excuse me, Mr. Bluesummers, but do you know where we're supposed to be headed?"

Legato continued on at the same pace, one that Delilah found hard to keep up with with her feet so sore. "I was hoping you'd tell me that, Miss."

Delilah chuckled nervously. "Oh... right, um..." She was almost considering asking for directions when the smell of gasoline filled the air. "Right over there!"

The blue haired man stopped, causing Delilah to bump into the back of him. Just across the way was a large barn, hundreds of cars piled in the back and scattered around the perimeter. One of the cars, quite out of place with the others, sat parked out front with a shiny coat of black paint. Legato could only guess that the most different looking one belonged to Delilah. "You own the black one?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Delilah asked and looked up at Legato for an answer.

Sighing, Legato shook his head. He began to notice something else about this girl; she was pretty dense. "Lucky guess," is all he casually said in reply. He had to admit he was a little bit grateful that they wouldn't have to walk all the way back.

He waited outside while Delilah ran inside the barn to sign her car out and pay the costs of repairs. When she came out, Legato was still standing in the same place she had left him ten minutes ago. This kind of creeped her out. "...okay, well, I guess we're finished here. Shall we head back now?"

"Of course," Legato said as his hand clutched the passenger door handle, giving it a gentle tug as it opened with a click. He had never ridden in such an automobile as this one before. This one looked like it was from Earth, in a time that would be considered ancient on Gunsmoke. Slowly he eased into the low-sitting car and felt an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia.

Delilah opened the driver side door and poked her head in. "Mind if I put the top down?"

Legato had been holding his breath since he sat down and finally exhaled in relief. "Please do."

The roof on the car began to open up as sunlight poured in and Legato could immediately feel his claustrophobia subside. Once the top was fully down and tightly secured, Delilah hopped into the driver seat. It took a while for her to rummage through her purse and locate her keys (in which she had just placed in there a minute ago) so in the meantime, Legato was doing a mental check of the new recruit.

Delilah didn't quite have all the physical aspects of a warrior, and that right away could be a problem in training her. He noticed she had a small, yet stocky build. She was very curvaceous with a small amount of fat on her abdominal obliques, breasts, and hips, and that could render her rather obsolete when it came to speed and endurance. Her attire was also a problem- one could not run and engage in physical activity in heels, tight jeans and so much jewelry, not to mention her piercings. So what exactly had Knives seen in her that made him want to recruit _her_? Either Legato's master had gone absolutely insane, or maybe Delilah really did possess an ability only Knives knew about. He definitely hadn't picked her for looks, that's for certain.

"Found 'em!" Delilah squeaked in excitement as she pulled out a ridiculously cluttered key ring full of keys, keychains, and other small tools. She fumbled with the busy key ring until she found the keys to the ignition, hidden under a keychain that looked like a large, pointless, green puffball. Inserting the key into the ignition, she turned it and a choked, "chigga chigga chigga" sound immediately followed. After about three tries, the car finally started with a loud, low rumble.

A small, anime-esque sweatdrop appeared over Legato's head. Why did he have the strange feeling that it wouldn't exactly be a smooth ride back to the base? It was only a little bit less than five miles away, but Legato had a bad feeling about this girl. Quietly he stared off to the side as she violently pulled the car in reverse, taking off at dangerous speeds.

The wind blew through Delilah's short, black locks of hair as she jerked the steering wheel left and right, narrowly avoiding random buildings, thomases, and pedestrians that watched in terror as she sped through the once quiet streets. Legato was gripping the side of the door so hard he thought he might break it off. What the hell was she thinking? At this rate, they would both be dead before they reached the base. Master would be so disappointed.

To Legato's luck, they were starting to get into the more suburban part of town, then soon they'd be out in the open desert with no humans/buildings/animals to hit. He turned his head slightly only to see Delilah clutching the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were white, an almost crazed look on her face. Did she not drive much, or was she always this interesting looking? He decided it was best not to ask.

Within only a few minutes, they were out of the way of civilization and into the expansive, dusty land that encompassed 99.9 of the planet. The ride went a lot smoother with the exception of dust flying every which way, but neither of them had no room to complain. Taking her eyes off the "road" for a brief second, she pressed the pressed a button on the radio and a faint sound of music emitted from the car speakers. Suddenly she twisted the knob all the way to the right and a sudden blast of sound filled the car and once silent land. Neither Legato nor Delilah flinched at the sudden explosion of music but if it were anyone else, they would have probably had a heart attack.

The sound was new to Legato's ears but all too familiar with Delilah's. It was White Rose Movement's "Test Card Girl", music from a long lost generation ago that Legato could not even comprehend. He couldn't exactly say that he was annoyed by it, but it was different from his tastes. It would definitely take some time to get used to... that is, if Delilah even stayed that long. Legato had a gut feeling that he'd end up dumping her body somewhere out in the desert along with the trash.

The blue haired man patiently sat and gazed off at the scenery (or lack thereof), occasionally sending slight messages to the speedy driver's mind in which way to go. Quickly glancing over at the dashboard, he caught site of the gas meter and furrowed his brow slightly when he saw that they were almost in the red. The base was close by, but the last gas station was five miles or so back. Apparently Delilah knew what she was doing, or maybe she didn't. Legato took a deep breath and exhaled as he tapped his finger slightly on the car door in rhythm with the surprisingly catchy music. It was the fine things in life Legato could actually enjoy on occasion, however the rest of his life consisted of pain and turmoil. He wasn't allowed to think too freely or stray away from his master's ideals. If he did, it would mean something much worse than death... it would mean _torture_.

His thoughts were interrupted when the music turned considerably lower, and a tiny building with outside turrets surrounding it came into view only a couple hundred feet away. "Hold on tight," Delilah advised with a cheeky grin as she suddenly slammed on the breaks, bringing the rear end of the car around to the front in a quick, sliding motion. They came to a complete halt and both of them relaxed in their seats. Delilah gently turned the car off and shoved her keys into her purse. A giant cloud of dust filled the air and when it finally dissipated, a fresh set of grooves in the dusty terrain became visible, signifying their stunt had taken place. Now Legato had a good idea of why her car was in the shop getting repairs.

"You can get out now, it's cool," Delilah chirped and literally bounced out of the car, not-so-gracefully landing on her feet.

Legato had a much smoother time getting out, carefully standing to his feet and shutting the door as gently as he had opened it. He gave her one quick look along with a mental message that said, _Follow me._

This was too much for Delilah's little mind to comprehend. "Whoa, something told me that told me that... wait, let me say that again, something told me that I should follow you."

Legato just wanted to smack that stupid grin off her face but it was not in his nature to do so. Calmly, he nodded silently and entered the automatic-opening door. Delilah could see many bullet holes in the heavy iron door and this uneased her for a brief moment, but her nervousness was replaced by fear as she found herself in the dark, the door slamming shut behind her.

A light flickered from up above, casting enough light to see Legato's tall figure walking in front of her. Her heels made a clacking sound against the steel floor and she used that to distract her from the overwhelming feeling of dread she had acquired upon entering. The light became dimmer and dimmer as they descended a long flight of stairs, only to lighten once again with a dim light that hung on the ceiling of the next hallway. Had they really walked this far? It seemed like an eternity between each light fixture, or maybe it was all in Delilah's head.

Once again, they walked down another flight of stairs, this one a bit shorter than the last. Delilah had no idea where she was stepping since this stairway was unfortunate enough to not have any source of light. Her steps became quicker and quicker as she discovered that she couldn't hear Legato's footsteps anymore. She was truly scared. What was he bringing her into, anyways?

Before she could take another step, she suddenly walked into someone and caused them to barely budge. Delilah stepped back, ready to make a break for it. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized in a stuttering voice. "It's very dark in here and-"

"Don't worry about it," came a smooth reply. The voice was easily recognizable as Legato's, and a sigh of relief escaped from Delilah's chest.

Before the short girl could ask the taller man a question, she was taken by surprise as what seemed like a blinding white light filled the dark hallway. Delilah shielded her eyes and squinted to catch a glimpse of a much brighter hallway, this one larger and lined with many automatic doors. The interior decor was a refreshing yet strange sight to the usual western themed architecture of Gunsmoke, as she observed how technologically advanced this hallway was. It looked like something from an old spaceship movie, and this made Delilah anxious to see what the rest of the base looked like.

They both proceeded into the bright hallway, the smell of disinfectant and metal almost overpowering to the senses. Everything about this place seemed so artificial... there was no wood, no material other than metal, iron, fiberglass, and plastic. There were doors on both side of the widely spaced walls, leading to rooms that Delilah could only guess were housing units. Her footsteps were loud against the steel flooring and she hoped not to annoy Legato, even though his feet were just as loud. After a few minutes of walking, Delilah finally got up the courage to ask the blue haired man a rather urgent question.

"Mr. Bluesummers, sir... I gotta' go pee, like _really _bad..." she told him in a half-whining voice.

Legato sighed inaudibly and made a b-line to the restrooms, Delilah enthusiastically following behind. She quickly ran into the bathroom and shut the door tight, leaving Legato to stand outside and listen to her sing to herself like nothing else mattered in the world except her fulfilling her personal needs. Boy, did that sound ironic.

She came out wearing a big smile and she wiped the excess water on her hands off on her tight jeans. "Thanks sir, I feel much better now."

Now that that was taken care of, Legato went on and continued walking down the hallway, Delilah in tow. A few times Delilah would try and walk beside him instead of behind, but a cold glare stopped her from getting too comfortable and she often found herself walking behind him once again. Legato wasn't usually such a cold person. Most of the time, he was unfeeling and most of his little annoyances he paid no attention to. But Delilah- she seemed to strike a nerve but fascinate him at the same time. He couldn't tell whether it was because of her short, chubby body or her weird clothes, or maybe it was her personality. She reminded him of someone he once knew.

"So," Delilah spoke after a long, uncomfortable silence, "just who exactly _is _this person you call 'Master'?"

Legato continued walking, grinning to himself at Delilah's naïve impudence. "You shall see. And when you meet him, you will address him as either _Master _or _Lord Knives_. If you call him anything else, you will be killed."

Killed?! Delilah stopped walking as a chill crept down her spine. Something just told her she was involved in matters way too dangerous than she had hoped for. "...Wait, that's ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous?" Legato stopped walking and turned to face her, his tall figure overpowering her smaller one. "If you're having second thoughts, please feel free to express them to me. It's not too late to back out, you know." He grinned slyly. "But once you're in the service of Lord Knives, you cannot leave. Your life belongs to him."

Delilah was about to make a run for it when another thought crossed her mind. She _really _needed a job. This one, that sounded serious enough, seemed very beneficial. If she stayed, would she get to stay in one of those rooms in the hall? Would she be treated as a higher level of human? She bit her pierced bottom lip and then met Legato's eyes with a sudden fire of confidence. "...I want to do this."

Legato chuckled, in which Delilah had to suppress the urge to go, "_Awww"_. He slowly turned around and continued walking. "Well then, let's keep going, shall we?"

And so there she was, Delilah- the girl who lived for leisure, taking a job that could end her life if she didn't give enough effort. Was it a stupid decision? It wasn't like she really cared, anyways. A powerful voice echoed off the metal walls and it took a moment for her to realize that she was no longer behind Legato, but instead she was standing in front of a blonde man holding a black revolver.

Aiiiiyeeeeee so there it was! ;; It's pretty lame and boring, but I PROMISE it will get better in the later chapters v.v

If not, I will have Legato strip-tease for your enjoyment instead

Legato: Hmm? What's that?

Me: . ;; Nothing...


	2. Condemnation

Back again after 4 days Nobody has been reviewing my story, and this makes an unexperienced writer feel bad about herself : guilt trip

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**Chapter 2**

"Condemnation"

"I welcome you, Delilah Bonnouvrier."

Delilah stood in her place, frozen from a mix of amazement and fear. _This _was Lord Knives? His gun was pointing straight at her forehead and she was just waiting for the moment when he would pull the trigger. What if these people were some sick freaks who killed their victims and then... had _sexual pleasure_ with them...? She shut her eyes tight after thinking about it and but her lip. "Please don't kill me... I'll do anything you want, just please don't take my life," she pleaded rather pathetically. A strange feeling began to course through her body and she struggled to contain it.

The blond man drew his gun back, letting his arm hang down by his side as he began to laugh. His laughter grew more voracious until finally, he stopped abruptly and regained composure. "Such typical behavior of a _spider_," he said in a mocking tone, and Delilah couldn't tell if he was disappointed or truly amused.

Legato was irked by Delilah's cowardly response. His master already had a low opinion of humans, and this just probably made his master hate them even more. If there was one thing Legato avoided, it was Knives when he was in a bad mood.

Delilah finally noticed that Legato was kneeling down in a submissive bow, and she was struggling to decide whether or not she should do the same. The feeling she had contracted when the gun was pointed to her head began to subside, but she knew it would come back again. She took a deep breath and asked Knives, "Spider? But I'm a human..."

"**_Human_**," Knives snarled with distaste. "Disgusting little creatures... Tell me, Miss Delilah, have you not the slightest idea of what kind of job you've just applied for?"

Delilah was beginning to feel scared again. This guys was totally insane, that's for sure. Instead of directly answering Knives' question, she asked him something that had first popped into her head. "Wait a minute, why do you hate humans if you're a human yourself?"

Somebody might have well just put a gun to Delilah's head and pulled the trigger, because both Legato and Knives twitched as Delilah's hideous words. Legato prepared for a magnificent display of bloodshed that was about to ensue. He dared not look at his master, but he couldn't help but glare at Delilah. How _dare _she be so insolent to his master?

"I am not a human, no..." Knives began in a surprisingly calm tone. "I am a _plant_, a species high above the human race. I, unlike you, am an intelligent being. My abilities are far more surreal than your tiny mind could ever imagine, and I've gone against my ways just to accept you as a Gung-Ho Gun." He stepped closer to her and peered down at her. "You should be thanking me... for I know you possess something that could aid in ridding this planet of all humans. I want your power, Delilah, and you will use it however I ask of you."

Breathing in short, shallow gasps, Delilah stood trembling before this monster. She was known for taking foolish actions, but nothing as foolish as getting involved in mass genocide with a superbeing such as Knives. Her heart began to slowly crumble and finally, she collapsed to the ground with her head hung low. "I will do whatever you want me to." What else could she do? She was up shit creek without a paddle.

Knives flashed a contented grin. "Very good." He knelt down and touched her shoulder, bringing her to her feet instantaneously. He gazed into her emerald eyes and made the final decision. "From now on, you shall be known as Delilah the Escutcheon. Welcome to the Gung-Ho Guns."

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She clutched her purse tight against her chest instead of letting it hang from her shoulder as she walked through a group of strange people, all of them either glaring at her or shouting random obscenities that made her want to just run away and cry. Legato trailed behind her like a warden in a prison, making sure she didn't step out of line or try anything suspicious. Knives had fully accepted her as a Gung-Ho Gun, and now it was his duty to train and prepare her for battle. Not only was Delilah to aid in making Vash the Stampede endure eternal pain and suffering, she was also assigned to wipe out the humans when the time came. Legato watched her as she sheepishly continued walking past Midvalley and wondered how this cowardly girl had received the privilege to help destroy humanity, something that even Legato himself wouldn't get to experience.

The man wielding a saxophone casually leaned against the wall of the hallway as he watched the new recruit be escorted by Legato to her room. He caught notice of her thick physique and couldn't help but say something rude to make himself look like a bigger man.

"Hey Legato, I'm surprised to learn you're interested in the ladies," he called out with a smug grin and then looked at Delilah. "But I'm even more surprised to see you're a _chubby-chaser._" What he didn't expect was to actually get a physical response.

At that instant, Delilah threw down her purse and stormed up to Midvalley, fists clenched and facial muscles pulled tight in anger. She didn't even wait for him to utter another word; she had him down on the ground with a swift shove, a stiletto in his back. "You're one stupid motherfucker, trying to start shit with me," she snapped and grinded her heel even farther into his back. She wanted to hear him _scream_.

This caused the rest of the Gung-Ho Guns to be silent for a whole five seconds before they erupted into another roar of hooting and hollering, this time for a fight. Legato had enough of this. _"That's enough, Delilah."_

Delilah suddenly heard Legato's voice in her head, and she wondered if she was going nuts. She was actually beginning to think he could speak to her almost... _telepathically_. Slowly she eased off of the whimpering man and removed her foot from his backside, picking her purse up from the floor. "Let's go," is all she said to Legato before leaving the scene behind her.

They reached her room which was quite far away, almost inconveniently far. Delilah figured her life from now on would be full of inconveniences so she'd just have to deal with it. She was the first to enter, turning on the light to see something she hadn't quite expected. The room was bigger than she had imagined and a bed sat in a lonely corner with only one pillow and a thin blanket folded neatly on top. There was a simple metal nightstand, a small dresser with a mirror, an old armchair, and a door that led to a small bathroom that contained a shower, toilet and sink. The walls were bare with no windows or any sort of decoration except for a tiny closet, and everything was a depressing shade of gray. Overall, the room was well lit but it lacked life. Delilah had some interior decorating to do.

"This is where you shall sleep attend to your personal needs. In your spare time, you may visit the lounge or wander the base, but you may never leave without a senior Gung-Ho Gun attending you," Legato explained monotonously. "Do you understand?"

Delilah shrugged her shoulders and sighed at the grim life she had chosen. "Yeah, I guess..."

The indigo-haired man smiled a cold smile and turned to leave. Before he was out the door, he stopped and looked behind his shoulder at her. "I will have someone take care of your vehicle parked outside," he said and then left the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

Delilah felt trapped like a prisoner, so much that she had to press the door switch to see if the door was still unlocked, which it was. Legato had said that she was free to hang out in the lounge; she took that as an opportunity to rid herself of the fear she felt. She didn't know where it was even located, but she figured the exploration around the base would lead her to it eventually. Before she left the room, she took a quick look in the bathroom mirror at herself. Her eyeliner was smudged and her skin was pale, but everything else looked in check aside from her eyes looking tired and drained.

She kicked off her heels, figuring she wouldn't need them, and left the room to find the lounge. The hallways were a complex network of twists and turns which made it very easy to get lost in such a place. As she wandered down the lonely corridor, the alarming sound of a saxophone began playing a vibrant melody from just behind a silver-colored door that stood only a few doors down. Could that be the lounge, or could it be the saxophone man's room? She decided to risk it and walk through the door.

What she found when she entered was certainly not someone's room, but a very posh lounge complete with themed lighting, a stage for performances (in which Midvalley was currently occupying), several sofas and chairs, and a bar near the back of the room where a young boy with blond hair was serving up drinks. She recognized all of the people as the ones who had ridiculed her in the hallway, but she paid no mind to past events. She was too tired to hold a grudge against anyone at the moment.

The short blond who was mixing up beverages looked up at her when she entered and Midvalley stopped playing in the middle of a nice jazz piece. A man with a masked face sat silently on the sofa next to a woman with an eyepatch. _Boy, aren't these people a sight to behold, _Delilah thought to herself and decided to take a seat at the bar. The boy gave her a quizzical look and then placed a wine glass in front of her. "Well, what will it be?" he asked, and his voice came out not as young and undeveloped, but as mature and strong. Was he really a little boy after all?

Delilah stared at the empty glass, then peered down at the blond boy and smiled innocently. "Hmm... I think I'll have just a wee bit of rum, please."

The boy reached under the counter and ended up pouring her a full glass instead of "a wee bit". She was relieved to hear Midvalley start playing again, meaning he wasn't focusing on her as much. The young bartender/Gung-Ho Gun placed the bottle on the counter and stared at her. "That was pretty awesome what you did to Midvalley back there," he said with a cute smirk.

"So that's his name, hmm?" Delilah said, more to herself than to anyone else. Her face turned hot from the alcohol and she slipped off her sweater, placing it on the counter. "Hehe, it was nothing. Sometime I just tend to overreact about things. By the way, what's your name?"

"Zazie the Beast. Just call me Zazie though," the boy now known as Zazie responded, leaning up against the counter in a casual fashion.

"Zazie..." Delilah repeated the name. It sounded so exotic. "You probably already know, but I'm Delilah... a new Gung-Ho Gun-"

"Good luck with that," Zazie half-interrupted, shaking his head in laughter. "You won't last a day here."

Delilah was a little stunned, but not too stunned. She had expected this ever since she walked through the hall of hollering savages known as the Gung-Ho Guns. Deep down inside, she did feel quite out of place. To think that she was now part of this freak show was something she tried not to think about too hard. She downed the rest of the glass and went ahead and poured herself another one. "I don't care. I'm getting hammered."

Zazie laughed, watching her through violet eyes. "Might as well," he concluded and went back to cleaning the bar.

Within a few minutes and three glasses of rum later, Delilah's brain swam in her head as the room spun and flipped every which way. She rested her head onto the cool counter top and closed her eyes. That was a little too much alcohol for her... Especially since someone she hoped never to see again in a long time walked into the lounge.

Her eyelids fluttered open and she sat up with a dizzy head. She saw Legato take a seat on the barstool next to her while paying no attention to her at all. He wasn't wearing his coat and Delilah could see that he must have worked out frequently in order to gain such a toned body. If she wasn't drunk, she'd drool all over him. On the other hand, maybe she could use her drunkenness as an excuse if she did happen to drool on him. He finally glanced briefly over at Delilah and then to Zazie. "Do we have any Moonshine left?" he asked (A/N: Moonshine super fucking strong alcohol).

Delilah hicupped and then closely caught a look at his left arm. It was of a lighter colour than the rest of his skintone... man, was that was one intense farmer's tan or what. "Legatooo" she whined and poked his arm. "You need a tan right thurrr... y'know what I mean?"

Legato sipped his alcohol and stared distantly in front of him. After he downed the glass, he looked at Delilah with mischievous golden eyes as his lips curved into a grin. "It looks like our new recruit has some self control issues with alcohol, wouldn't you agree, Zazie?"

Zazie whistled nonchalantly. "Appears to be. But I must say, I kind of played a part by letting her have the entire bottle..."

Delilah was wondering what Legato would do next. In her drunken stupor, she imagined him punishing her by tying her up and then whipping her in some sort of sick S&M fantasy. Her mind was too foggy to think logically. "Mmm, yeah baby... hit me hard..." She then suddenly reached up and hugged the indigo-haired man as Zazie stared in shock.

Legato supported her weight against his and held her from slipping off the stool entirely, a small sweatdrop appearing on his forehead. "Miss Bonnouvrier, what would Master say if he knew you were drunk and practically-"

"He'd say, 'Let's party harder,' that's what," a voice recognized as Knives' suddenly interrupted, and everyone except Delilah turned their head to see none other than Knives enter the room. "Well, what are you waiting for? Scotch for everyone, and yes, that means you too, Caine."

The man with the mask blinked his eyes- erm, _eye_- in confusion. Knives was never this nice to his servants, especially Caine. He sat up and cautiously approached the bar, taking a glass that Zazie had set out for him. He watched the pitiful sight of Delilah hanging off Legato and wondered if she would pass out. Being the silent type he was, he just ignored it and went back to the sofa.

Delilah turned her head to the left when she heard a rather obvious scoff coming from the woman with the eyepatch. _What's her problem? _Delilah asked herself and then was hit with a belittling glare. Delilah took this as nothing to serious, but she could hardly take anything serious when she was drunk. Could anyone, really? "Hi hot stuffs," she said to the woman who was just sitting back down.

Dominique snapped her attention towards the sexual-orientation-questioning comment and her glare turned even more ferocious. She would have killed the stupid, chubby girl right on the spot but Knives was in the room. She'd have to wait until later. Instead, she thought she'd put her in her place at least verbally. "Just who do you think you're talking to? Learn some respect for your superiors or get out of here," she hissed and flipped her long, dark hair behind her shoulders as a symbol of power. "And get off of Legato. I don't think he appreciates a drunk cow hanging off him."

This sobered Delilah up almost entirely. She remained completely silent, still holding onto Legato. Slowly her grip loosened and she sat upright, glancing behind her shoulder at the cold Dominique. "...Alright. If that's what you really want, then I'll leave."

Knives acted like he was oblivious to what was going on, but everyone in the room knew that he actually wasn't. He watched as Delilah slid off the barstool and grabbed her sweater, daring not look at anyone during her departure. This was another reason he despised humanity- they all acted like a bunch of children, their feelings so easily torn asunder with the most meaningless of words. But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Delilah. If only she knew that she was in for a lot worse than petty name-calling.

"Hey Knives, Sir, what do you say we just forget about her and enjoy the night," Midvalley suggested in a cool manner, ready to continue playing his sax.

The blond man rubbed his temples in stress. "Alright, alright... please continue then."

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Delilah stood halfway on the verge of sobbing, but she felt to numb to cry. It wasn't the alcohol that made her in the lost state she was, it was her own raging feelings confused where to go. The sink ran cold in front of her and the bathroom mirror was an ugly reflection of what she really was without the mask. She was an optimistic person all the time, so she could get though it. "Not the first time," she said to herself and began thinking of ways she could convince herself nothing Dominique said was true. Perhaps Dominique and Legato had a thing for each other, and Delilah was just unaware that she was interfering. Yeah, that's all. Nothing to worry about now.

When she came out of the bathroom, she nearly stumbled over three large suitcases that had been placed outside the door. Strange, that was her stuff from in the trunk of her car that she was going to eventually carry in. How did anyone manage to get into the trunk without the keys, anyways? Maybe they just pulled the back seat down, or maybe the Gung-Ho Guns were truly gifted individuals. Mean, freakish, but gifted.

She pulled the first suitcase onto the bed. She unzipped it and removed its contents -clothes, shoes, jewelry, makeup and hygiene products. The second suitcase was much heavier because it contained a blanket, a pillow, a lamp, a small radio, some clothes hangers, a handbag and her favorite jacket. She placed the bright blue lamp on the nightstand and plugged it in. When she turned it on, the room suddenly came to life in a soft blue glow that left her mesmerized for a short period of time until she snapped out of it. All of her clothes were still lying in a pile on the bed and she found work in hanging her clothes on hangers, placing them all neatly in the small closet and dresser.

After turning her mp3 player on, she opened the third suitcase full of miscellaneous items while humming busily to herself like a bee. "_Don't say you want me, don't say you need me_... hm, here's all the fun stuff... d_on't say you love me, it's understood_," she sung to herself while dumping the contents of the suitcase onto the bed. Out came a curling iron, some books, jewelry for her piercings, a black scarf, a white teddy bear, an mp3 player charger modified for modern electrical outlets, paper and pens, a clock, Kuroneko-sama, a pistol, a bottle of whiskey, a camera, a knife, and $$800 in emergency money.

She slid the three empty suitcases under her bed before putting everything in their proper places, just in time for an unexpected visit from the woman with the eyepatch. Delilah watched her enter the room, a skeptical eye on Delilah's decor. She glanced up at Delilah, a smirk plastered onto her beautiful face. "Don't get too comfy."

Delilah remained quiet while she thought of what to say next, and finally she smiled. "I'm sorry I was hanging all over your boyfriend back there," she said and then paused, tilting her head to the side in the manner of a curious puppy. "If I had known you two were together, I would have just ignored him. He's cute, you're lucky to have him."

The woman with the eyepatch's face turned pale in shock as the grin slowly faded, soon replaced by an agape mouth and blushing cheeks. She was too shocked to say anything witty in reply, except for, "H-he's not my boyfriend...!"

"Oh really?" Delilah pondered, surprised. This woman was tricky yet very interesting, yet Delilah still didn't even know her name.

The tall woman stood completely still, blushing with her gaze lowered to the ground. "...He's not like that, anyways. He can't love another being except for _Knives_..." She said Knives' name in a derogatory fashion, almost as if she was jealous.

_So they're gay? _Delilah thought to herself, amused. "Interesting. Well, I guess that makes the situation a little better, considering he doesn't even like women..."

"I'm not saying he's gay!" the eyepatch woman suddenly shouted, then covered her mouth with her hands as if she said something she wasn't supposed to say. She looked around uneasily, lowering her voice. "He's just... shit, what the Hell am I saying. I don't even like him to begin with. Never have, never will. It just doesn't work that way. Gung-Ho Guns aren't supposed to love each other."

Delilah took a seat on the bed, crossing one leg over the other as she sat with a contented smile. "Let's hope he heard none of this," she said, fully reclining back onto the hard bed to stare at the ceiling. "By the way, I never caught your name."

"Dominique," the woman muttered, and then kept silent for an uncomfortable few minutes.

When Delilah sat up to see if she was okay, she realized that the woman was gone. She had left without Delilah even knowing. Did she hit a nerve that hard? _Tough love, _Delilah thought and stood up. She still had her earphones in her ears and her mp3 player in her hand. When she was a little girl, her parents used to say that when the going gets tough, pretend like you're not even part of it anymore_. Have fun, laugh, be merry._ A thought swam through Delilah's mind which triggered sporadic thought about her parents. She wondered where they were; she wondered if they still owned the artifact shop in Carcasses where her car was built. A wave of nostalgia hit her heart and she slid off the bed, her body hitting the cold, steel floor with a dull thud. She let herself lie there until the overwhelming thoughts of her family began to lessen and sleep took over her mind.

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DUMMMMMB I know. There's like, nothing going on except describing Delilah, but next chapter there shall be some ACTION :D

If you read, please review. I don't care if it's a bad review, just review. Writing isn't one of my hobbies but I did this because I wanted to try something new.

Legato: Mmhmm girlfriend. snap snap head-bob


End file.
